ASeTTS

We are excited to welcome a new group of Bi-Cultural Facilitators to the ASeTTS team! This week, they've been busy with trainings, inductions and learning our policies and procedures all the essentials to prepare them for supporting clients across our programs. Our Bi-Cultural Facilitators play an important role in sharing information in relevant languages and culturally appropriate ways acting as a bridge between the communities we support and ASeTTS. They will offer language support in Arabic, Farsi, Dari, Tigrinya, Spanish and Burmese. Welcome to our new facilitators and we look forward to the impact you'll make! #biculturalfacilitators

Our CEO Liza Beinart was invited to the Saraswati Mahavidhyalaya Centre for Performing Arts and Education (SMV) for a performance of “Untitled” last Sunday. We were also honoured to receive a generous donation from all the proceeds of ticket sales. Through traditional Indian dance the music performance explored themes of displacement, identity, belonging, and the meaning of home through the story of a young girl displaced from Sri Lanka who finds ways to reconnect with her culture and heritage in Australia. It was a beautiful, moving and thought-provoking performance and displayed the skills and talents of this wonderful group of dancers and musicians who wrote as well as performed the work. ASeTTS is very grateful for the generosity of SMV’s audience members and to SMV for dedicating its ticket sales to supporting ASeTTS’ work. Anu Sutharshan

Last week at the Settlement Council of Australia Conference on the Sunshine Coast, we proudly presented our poster presentation for the Community Innovators, Volunteers and Leaders (CIVAL) program. The poster received a Special Mention from the overall judging panel. 👏🏽 Our Community Development team's feedback along with student intern Thais Carrascoza insights as a CIVAL Alumni, community leader and ASeTTS intern was invaluable at helping bring this together. A special thank you to Shenali Perera, whose illustration captured the essence of CIVAL.

Over the past decade, the Community Innovators, Volunteers and Leaders (CIVAL) program has empowered countless leaders. To celebrate the 10 years we created a series of videos featuring reflections from alumni, facilitators, and staff who have been part of this journey. Each video highlights different reflections that showcase the program's impact. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their experiences and special thanks to Paola Borquez-Arce for interviewing the participants. Featured in the video: David Ajak Ajang James Jegasothy Ehsan Nazamyar Fiona R. Olga Hurina Asem Mousa Merissa Van Der Linden Kuda Ndlovu margaret etto Elvie Yap Karla C. Jalal Kantibye Stuart Reid Thais Carrascoza Tharanga De Silva

Our Women's Group came together for a pottery class facilitated by Tara Rad, a ceramic artist. 🏺 The pottery class was a moment of healing for the women allowing them to connect to nature and shifting their mind to creating some amazing pieces. We will soon be running a six week pottery program with a group of women to continue to explore the art of shaping clay while learning new techniques, and making meaningful connections.

Yesterday, our team attended the Making Time conference hosted by Community Arts Network down by the Swan River at the Nedlands Yacht Club. The day explored the powerful intersection between the arts and social/emotional wellbeing. We heard from various artists, and practitioners about how they are using art to support others and themselves, as well a thought-provoking discussion on compassion fatigue. Our own Senior Community Development Coordinator, Tharanga De Silva, joined the morning panel on 'Community Arts, Health and Wellbeing', sharing insights from the City I Belong project which is a creative initiative using art as a tool for healing. There were creative workshops during the morning and afternoon from Noongar singing to writing, clay and meditation, bush medicine and speed networking the workshops were designed to spark creativity and connection. Throughout the day, we were fortunate to have Shenali Perera, a visual scribe, capturing reflections and highlights through an amazing artwork using images and words bringing the conversations from the day to life. Thanks to the CAN team for putting on an incredible and inspiring event and congratulations on 40 years!

On Saturday, October 25th, we kicked off the 2025-2026 Community Innovators, Volunteers and Leaders (CIVAL) program with an inspiring first session at our community centre!   We welcomed over 30 new participants - our most diverse cohort yet, with representation from communities we’ve never had before. This marks an exciting step forward in our mission to empower future community leaders.   Our CEO Liza gave a warm welcome, and Fatima Faqiri, CIVAL Alumni, gave an inspiring presentation that set the tone for the journey ahead. The session also included engaging icebreaker activities that brought the group together.   From now until graduation in June 2026, participants will complete 14 workshops designed to equip them with the skills, confidence, and connections to lead with impact.